A 4.5-magnitude earthquake hit Orcas Island early Monday morning. It was the biggest quake that Washington has seen since 2020, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
It’s the latest in a string of tremors to hit the Pacific Northwest. It was the fourth earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher to hit the state since Feb. 18, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, in addition to a 4.8-magnitude quake that hit Southern British Columbia.
With Washington’s location along the Cascadia Subduction Zone and several active fault lines, over 1,000 earthquakes occur in the state each year, according to the Washington Emergency Management Division, although most are fairly weak. The last major earthquake to hit the state was a 6.8-magnitude temblor that hit Nisqually in February 2001.
But with earthquakes’ unpredictable nature, you might think there’s little you can do to prepare for them. Here’s how to be ready in case one hits.
How to prepare
According to Monty Burich, an emergency management and public affairs volunteer with the Northwest region of the American Red Cross, the most important step to prepare for a quake is to take action.
“This is going to sound kind of funny: The very first thing is start by doing something,” Burich said in an interview.
Burich said people often use the low odds of a severe earthquake hitting any one area as an excuse to not prepare.
“It’s amazing how many conversations I have with individuals that they know the earthquake risk is out there but have yet to do anything,” Burich said. “And some of it comes from what we call in the disaster world the ‘bulletproof mentality.’ It’s like, ‘It probably isn’t going to happen to me,’ and changing that is often a big hurdle for many.”
Some concrete steps you can take to prepare that Burich recommends include familiarizing yourself with your surroundings and picturing what would happen in the event of an earthquake.
“Could you be affected by landslides? Is flooding a potential? … Be aware of power substations nearby that could potentially start fires,” Burich said.
You can also prepare your home for an earthquake by moving heavy objects to low places, clearing objects from staircases and above beds, and fastening heavy items that are hanging on a wall, according to Washington’s Emergency Management Division.
Here are some other ways you can prepare your home for an earthquake, according to the agency:
- Make sure your beds aren’t under windows.
- Use closed-link chains to secure lights and ceiling fans.
- Have a fire extinguisher on hand.
- Secure vases and fragile items with putty or Velcro.
- Keep shoes, gloves and a flashlight underneath your beds.
- Make sure refrigerator wheels have stoppers.
- Make sure household chemicals are stored near the floor.
The Emergency Management Division also recommends participating in the Great Washington ShakeOut, an annual statewide earthquake drill initiative that occurs in October, and setting up your cell phone for earthquake alerts with the ShakeAlert warning system.
According to Ted Buehner, a meteorologist and public information officer at Emergency Management Group Washington, over 1.3 million people in the state participated in the 2024 ShakeOut. That includes schools, businesses, faith-based organizations and people at home.
Emergency kits
Burich recommends having separate emergency kits ready in each place you could be when a disaster hits. He added that putting together a kit all at once can be daunting and expensive, so he recommends buying one additional item to put in your kit each time you’re at the grocery store or pharmacy.
“You want to have a go kit that you can grab and go quickly, which is usually a backpack with some critical items in it,” Burich said.
A kit should include food, water, clothing, a portable light source and necessary medications.
